Gear train gate operating mechanism



2 Sheets-Sheet l Walter L. Floehr his At torney Oct. 15, 1968 w. L. FLOEHR GEAR TRAIN GATE OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 9. 1966 J W U N \w 5 v m a;

w R E A 4. em a a v =9 Q m x /A/ v4. H 11 z L r m VF. N Q g mfi n fl fiw m 9w 9 Q m k m t 8 v v Oct. 15, 1968 w. L. FLOEHR GEAR TRAIN GATE OPERATING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 9 1966 Inventor:

Walter L. Floehr m I I y Wm his Attorney United States Patent 3,405,657 GEAR TRAIN GATE OPERATING MECHANISM Walter L. Floehr, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Midland-Ross Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Feb. 9, 1966, Ser. No. 526,212 7 Claims. (Cl. 105-282) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE one of them.

This invention relates generally to slide gate assemblies of railway hopper cars and particularly to gate operating mechanisms for such assemblies.

In Fritz Patent No. 3,183,852, dated May 18, 1965, there is disclosed a slide gate assembly for railway hopper cars in which a slide gate is driven between open and closed positions by a pair of cranks mounted on an outrigger rigid with the gate frame and connected by links to an adjoining end of the gate adjacent its sides. In the assembly of the Fritz patent, the cranks are adapted to be actuated by an operating bar applied to one or the other and turning of one is transmitted to the other, so that they will act in unison, by intermeshing sector gears fixed to them.

An object of the present invention is to improve upon the assembly of the Fritz patent by providing a gate operating mechanism wherein intermeshing sector gears fixed to cranks to the gate are used not only to cause the cranks to act in unison on application of an actuating force to either of them but also to produce a mechanical advantage in transmitting that force to the gate.

Another object of the invention is to provide a gate operating mechanism wherein by imparting linear movement to a gate through crank means and applying the actuating force to the crank means through a power gear train, the mechanism is enabled to develop sufiicient force to meet both normal and special conditions.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter in the detailed description, be particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and be illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a slide gate assembly incorporating a preferred embodiment of the gate operating mechanism of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the assembly of FIGURE I removed from the hopper;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along lines 33 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a front end elevational view of the structure shown in FIGURE 3.

Referring now in detail to the drawings in which like reference characters designate like parts, the improved gate operating mechanism of this invention is designed for use as a power drive in driving a slide gate between open and closed positions.

As exemplary of the invention, the improved gate operating mechanism, designated as 1, has been incorporated in a slide gate assembly 2, which, aside from the operating mechanism, is of conventional construction. Thus, the assembly 2 includes a gate frame 3 fixed to side sheets 4 of a hopper (not otherwise shown). A slide or discharge gate 5 is mounted in the frame 3 for linear horizontal sliding or movement through a gate-receiving slot 6 in the frames front wall 7 between positions in which it closes and opens a discharge opening 8 bounded by the frame. As does the conventional assembly, the illustrated assembly 2 has laterally spaced, substantially parallel side rails 9 integral or rigid with and projecting forwardly from the frames side walls 10 beyond the front wall 7, on which the gate 5 is adapted to slide between open and closed positions and be partly supported when in open position. In this case, the side rails 9 are connected at their outer or front ends by an end rail or crossbrace 11, which extends laterally between and is fixed to or integral or rigid with the side rails and forms therewith a supporting frame or front outrigger 12 for supporting or mounting the moving or operating parts of the mechanism 1.

The operating mechanism 1 of this invention is similar to the assembly of the Fritz patent in including in its operating parts a pair of cranks or crank arms each concentric with and integral or rigid with or non-rotatively fixed or connected to one of a pair of meshing or intermeshing gears. However, in the mechanism 1, the structures and functions of the pairs of cranks and gears preferably are combined in a pair of sector or quadrant gears 13. Conveniently mounted on the end rail 11 adjacent its opposite ends and preferably in a slot 14 extending horizontally across and substantially the length of the rail, the preferred sector gears 13 are swingable, pivotable or oscillatable horizontally about vertical pivots or pivot pins 15 connecting them to the front rail and mesh or intermesh at the center substantially on or along the common longitudinal centerline of the main and supporting frames 3 and 12. To enable them to perform their function as cranks or crank levers the sector gears 13 are connected or linked at fixed points on them outwardly of their pivots 15 to the front end 16 of the gate 5 by a pair of laterally spaced links 17 which are pivotally connected at their inner or rear ends to the front end of the gate adjacent its opposite sides and each pivotally connected at its outer or front end to a rim 18 of one of the gears at or on the gears inner or front end or corner.

For driving or actuating the sector or driven gears 13, a relatively small diameter pinion or driving gear 19 is mounted for horizontal rotation on the end rail 11 in position to engage or mesh or intermesh with one of the sector or driven gears. Conveniently, the pinion 19 is so mounted between upper and lower, gusset-reinforced flanges 20 of a horizontally bifurcated or slotted mounting bracket 21 integral or rigid with and projecting forwardly from the correspondingly bifurcated or slotted end rail 11. The pinion 19 in turn preferably is actuated or operated through a capstan 22 non-rotatively mounted on the pinions shaft 23 above the mounting bracket 21.

The pinion 19 and sector gears 13 form a power gear train or power gearing, which, with the gears of the relative pitch diameters illustrated, produces a gear ratio and mechanical advantage or increase in the power transmitted to the links 17 of about 5.5 :1. It is the resultant increase in the power or force on the gate 5, when the mechanism 1 is operated, usually by application of an operating bar (not shown) to the capstan 22 of the pinion 19, that, with the sector gears 13 acting as levers relative to the links 17 and as gears relative to each other and the pinion 19, not only facilitates operation of the gate under normal conditions but enables it to be operated under special conditions, as when it is stuck shut by cementing or icing and required to be broken loose or released.

In the illustrated embodiment, the sector gears 13, as well as the links 17, are identical for interchangeability. Also, the length of the links and radius of the sector gears and location of their points of connection respectively to the gate 5 and supporting frame 12, are such that, when the gate is closed, the links are disposed substantially parallel to each other and the longitudinal centerline of the frame 3 and radially of the sector gears, so that the force holding the gate closed is applied from each sector gear through its link in a substantially straight line passing through the gears pivot and parallel to the frames longitudinal centerline. Conversely, when the gate is in open position, the sector gears 13, which in closed position project beyond the end rail 11 only sufficiently for one to engage the pinion 19, are substantially fully projected beyond the supporting frame 12 and the links, while still contained within that frame, are almost in lateral alignment. Not only is the mechanism 1 effective to pull and push the gate 5 linearly to and from open position, but the extent of opening of the gate is readily controlled by a stop 24 interrupting the teeth 25 of one or each of the sector gears adjacent its inner end and limiting the extent to which they can be swung outwardly under the actuating force applied to the pinion 19.

From the above detailed description it will be apparent that there has been provided an improved gate operating mechanism by which power applied through a power gear train of intcrmeshing pinion and sector gears is enabled to pull and push a slide gate from and to closed position at a very substantial mechanical advantage. It should be understood that the described and disclosed embodiment is merely exemplary of the invention and that all modifications are intended to be included that do not depart from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a railway hopper car slide gate assembly having a main frame bounding a discharge opening and a slide gate slidable between open and closed positions in the frame through a front wall thereof for opening and closing the opening, a gate operating mechanism comprising a supporting frame fixed to said main frame and projecting forwardly from said front Wall thereof, pair of cranks pivotally mounted on said supporting frame forwardly of said front wall, a pair of links each connecting one of said cranks to a front end of said gate, a pair of intermeshing driven gears each concentric with and non-rotatively fixed to one of said cranks, and drive gear means meshing with one of said driven gears and acting therethrough and said cranks for driving said gate between open and closed positions at a mechanical advantage pre- 4 determined by a gear ratio of said driving gear means and driven gears.

2. A gate operating mechanism according to claim 1 wherein the driven gears are sector gears, and the driving gear means is a pinion mounted on the supporting frame.

3. A gate operating mechanism according to claim 2 wherein the gate slides horizontally in the main frame, the supporting frame includes laterally spaced side rails partly supporting the gate in the open position thereof and a front rail extending laterally between and connecting front ends of said side rails, and the sector gears are mounted for horizontal pivoting on the front rail adjacent opposite ends thereof.

4. A gate operating mechanism according to claim 3 wherein the sector gears in the closed position of the gate project forwardly beyond the front rail, and the pinion is mounted for horizontal rotation on a mounting bracket fixed to and projecting forwardly from the front rail.

5. A gate operating mechanism according to claim 4 wherein the front rail and the mounting bracket are horizontally slotted to receive respectively the sector gears and the pinion.

6. A gate operating mechanism according to claim 3 wherein the links are connected to the gate adjacent opposite sides thereof, and each link is connected to an inner end of the related sector gear.

7. A gate operating mechanism according to claim 6 wherein the links in the closed position of the gate are substantially fully extended and each disposed radially of the related sector gear and parallel to a longitudinal centerline of the main frame, and means interrupting teeth of at least one of the sector gears limits outward movement of the gate.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 758,392 4/1904 Streib -255 3,183,852 5/1965 Fritz l05-282 FOREIGN PATENTS 376,278 6/ 1907 France.

ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

H. BELTRAN, Assistant Examiner. 

